Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

stand for

British  

verb

  1. to represent or mean

  2. to be or become a candidate for

  3. to support or recommend

  4. informal to tolerate or bear

    he won't stand for any disobedience
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
stand for Idioms  

  1. Represent, symbolize, as in The stars and stripes stands for our country . [Early 1600s]

  2. Advocate, support, uphold, as in The National Writers Union stands for freedom of the press . [c. 1300] Also see stand up for .

  3. Put up with, tolerate. This usage is generally in a negative context, as in Mother will not stand for rude behavior . [Late 1800s] Also see hold still for .

  4. stand for something . Have some value or importance, as in She realized that appearances do stand for something . This usage dates from the mid-1800s but was preceded by stand for nothing , meaning “be worthless,” dating from the late 1300s. Also see stand in for .

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"The UK does not stand for intimidation of British embassy staff and their families," the British spokesperson added.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

But they couldn’t stand for what was happening at Quirky Books, which had changed dramatically since those fateful days in 2020.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Surely, he thinks, Stalin wouldn’t stand for such a travesty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Traditionally, around 7,500 Celtic fans filled the stand for Old Firm derbies.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

Hill House itself, not sane, stood against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more.

From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.